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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It was a perfect way for Cheeriffic to cap off another season of all-star cheerleading.

And the good news could still be coming in.

Cheeriffic, the Logan-based all-star youth cheerleading organization, took three teams last weekend to the US Finals at Virginia Beach, Va., and had yet another outstanding showing.

Cheeriffic faced some of the stiffest competition in its eight-year history and ended up with two first-place finishes and a second.

The Cheeriffic Mini 1 team, the youngest age bracket of the three squads, took first place out of 19 total teams in its division to claim a national championship.

The Cheeriffic Youth Level 2 Small Gym team also took a national title as it earned a first-place finish out of 19 teams.

The Junior Level 3 Small Gym team from Cheeriffic then nearly pulled off the hat trick by finishing second and national runner-ups in its 12-team division. Cheeriffic’s Junior Level 3 was only 0.6 points out of first place.

The Virginia Beach event was one of three national all-star cheerleading competitions held nationwide with the others being held in Providence, R.I., and Los Angeles, Calif.

The four previous US Finals events were held last month in Indianapolis, Ind., Topeka, Kan., Chicago and Pensacola, Fla.

The Virginia Beach event attracted more than 700 teams from all over the entire East, South, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast and the Rocky Mountains as thousands of fans converged on the Virginia Beach Convention Center for the two-day event last Saturday and Sunday.

Cheeriffic’s Youth Level 2 team is still alive and in the running for an overall national championship in the US Finals Champions Challenge. The winners of the seven US Finals nationwide will be re-judged and scored and a winner crowned. The results are expected to be known soon.

Cheeriffic has brought home four overall national championships the last two years.

The Overall U.S. champions are determined by first consolidating the first place teams from the division splits at each location. These video performances will be re-judged at the event to determine the highest scoring team and this team will then move on to the next round.

Cheeriffic has brought home four overall national championships the last two years.

At Virginia Beach, the Cheeriffic Youth Level 2 team beat 18 other squads from Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan and Kentucky. Squads from nearby Louisa, Ky., and in-state Fairmont, Princeton and Clarksburg were in the division.

Cheeriffic is coached by Heather Bryant and Brittney Hartman. The team practices out of the Flip and Twist Gym in downtown Logan.

The team competed in the US Finals last year in Indianapolis, but Hartman said they wanted to try a bigger competition this time.

They sure did get it.

“Go big or go home would be the perfect phrase to say about going to Virginia Beach,” Hartman said. “We could have taken the teams to a smaller US Finals, but to be the best of the best, you’ve got to compete with the best of the best. And I must say that I am in complete shock over how great the teams performed in Virginia Beach.”

All three Cheeriffic teams performed near flawless routines under immense pressure.

The Youth Level 2 team scored more than 92 points — one of the highest scores ever for a Cheeriffic team. At the US Finals last weekend, the score was the tops among 43 total teams in all of Level 2.

“Cheeriffic really did show Virginia Beach what we are truly made of and that is Champions,” Hartman said. “There were about 730 teams that competed at this US Finals. It is by far the largest competition we have ever competed at. We chose this venue because we knew if we won in Virginia Beach, then we are really one of the best teams in the nation. And to come out of it with two first places and one second place, is a dream come true. I couldn’t be more proud of these girls for performing better than they ever have before and hitting amazing, clean routines.”

Bryant said winning two 19-team division titles made Cheeriffic’s showing even better.

“As we were preparing for this final event I knew the best of the best would be there. Never in my life did I think the divisions would have 19 teams. ‘O you of little faith’ kept coming to my mind,” she said. “As the girls ran onto the competition floor my heart was racing. I had never been this nervous at a competition. The girls performed amazing and showed Virginia Beach what little Logan County was made of. We have been so blessed this year. The dedication from the girls and their parents helped to make them so amazing and flawless out on the competition mat. Thank you so much to all the parents and your children without you and The Lord none of this would be possible.”

The Junior Level 3 team competed in the US Finals against teams from Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey.

While Cheeriffic waits on the final national rankings it reflects upon another season.

It all began back in late August with practices for the upcoming season and it ended on the beach.

All in all, Cheeriffic has a lot to be proud of.

Last weekend at the US Finals marked the first time Cheeriffic’s Junior Level 3 team had been beaten. The squad had won five straight first-places in competitions in Columbus (Ohio), Gatlinburg, Tenn., Indianapolis, Louisville, Ky., and Charlotte. The team had been Grand Champions four times.

The Cheeriffic Minis finished the season with four firsts and two seconds while the Youth Level 2 team racked up five firsts and a third.

Out of 18 total competitions spread across the three teams and six venues, Cheeriffic squads took 14 first-places this season.

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